Head shower

ABSTRACT

A head shower includes a shower arm designed as a pipe section for connection of an inlet end thereof to a water supply pipe laid in the wall of a shower enclosure, with the shower arm extending substantially horizontally above head level and having a shower head outlet connection to which there is secured a shower head. An additional outlet connection communicates with the shower arm and is arranged to have a hose shower, for washing the hands and the like, connected thereto. A valve controls flow through the two outlet connections, and a single externally accessible manually operable member cooperates with the valve means to provide for flow of water through only a selected one of the two outlet connections. The valve may be rotatable or axially displaceable in the shower arm, with the manually operable member comprising a handle secured to the free end of the valve. Alternatively, the valve may be rotatable and axially displaceable in the additional outlet connection and extend across the bore of the shower arm. In a further embodiment of the invention, the shower head may be of the shut-off type, and may constitute a manually operable member, with the valve comprising a pressure responsive valve in the additional outlet connection.

United States Patent Buzzi Feb. 12, 1974 HEAD SHOWER [37] ABSTRACTlnvemmi Gunter Buzzi, SchlltaCh/Blaek A head shower includes a showerarm designed as a Forest, Germany pipe section for connection of aninlet end thereof to [73] Assigne e: Hans Grohe KG, Schiltach/ Black awater, Supply pipe laid in the of a Shower Forest, Germany sure, mm theshower arm extending substantlally hOI'lzontally above head level andhaving a shower head Filed? p 6, 1972 outlet connection to which thereis secured a shower [21] Appl No: 286,820 head. An additional outletconnection communicates with the shower arm and is arranged to have ahose shower, for washing the hands and the like, connected ForeignApplication Data thereto. A valve controls flow through the two outletSept. 9, 1971 Germany 2145014 connections, and a single externallyaccessible manually operable member cooperates with the valve [52] U.S.Cl. 239/446 means to provide for flow of water through only a se- [51]Int. Cl A62c 31/00 lected one of the two outlet connections. The valve[58] Field of Search 239/443, 396, 397, 312 may be rotatable or axiallydisplaceable in the shower arm, with the manually operable membercomprising a [56] References Cited handle secured to the free end of thevalve. Alterna- UNITED STATES PATENTS tively, the valve may be rotatableand axially displace- 3 112073 11/1963 Larson etal 239/446 able in theadditional outlet connectim and 6mm! 2:867:230 1 1959 Bletcher et al.239 444 acrossthe bore of the ShOwe a further 2,538,211 1 1951 Prout239/446 bediment of the invention the Shower head may be of 3,118,6051/1964 McClenahan 239 443 X the Shut-Off yp and y constitute a manuallyp Primary ExaminerLloyd L. King Attorney, Agent, or Firm-McGlew andTuttle WIII 4 22 23 18 6 w 2 V v able member, with the valve comprisinga pressure responsive valve in the additional outlet connection.

17 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIBIIII)/JIII) PAIEN'I FEH1 2 19M sum 1 OF 4 NGE PAIENTEU I 2 I974 3,791,588

sum 2 BF 4 FIG. 3.

PATENTEUFEB 1 2 1974 SHEET 3 BF 4 HEAD SHOWER FIELD AND BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION The invention is directed to a head shower including ashower head and other parts, which is secured on an at leastsubstantially horizontal shower arm connected, above head level, to awater supply pipe laid in a wall of a shower enclosure, such as a showerstall, with the shower arm being designed as a pipe section.

Such head showers are known, and are generally installed in fixedrelation in shower stalls and the like in such a way that the showerarm, on the free end of which the shower head is threaded, is threadedinto an end piece of the water supply pipe, this end piece extendinghorizontally in a wall of the shower enclosure.

In addition to such a head shower, an additional socalled hose showerfrequently is required to complement the shower enclosure equipment.This hose shower comprises substantially a hand shower which is securedat the end of a hose also connected to the water supply pipe. It must bepossible to turn the water supply, for the head shower and for the hoseshower, on and off separately, and to switchfrom the head shower to thehose shower and vice versa.

Presently known combinations of head showers and hose showers containnot only separate water pipe connections but also separate shut-offvalves. Thus, these known combinations of head and hose showers are notonly unhandy to operate but they are also expensive and complicated toinstall.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The objective of the present invention is toobviate these disadvantages and to provide a combination of a headshower and a hose shower which combination is not only simple to operatebut also simpler and cheaper to install.

In accordance with the invention, the shower arm is provided not onlywith a shower head connection but also with a hose shower connection,and a rotatable and/or axially displaceable switching and/or closingelement or valve is arranged inthe shower arm, and controls flow throughthe shower head outlet and the hose shower outlet.

The essential advantages which are attained by such a constructioninclude, on the one hand, the advantage that only a single water pipeconnection is required for both showers and, on the other hand, thatonly a single switching or closing element or valve is needed. Theinstallation is thus greatly simplified, and there is no longer any needfor the presently required two separate closing valves and oneadditional water supply pipe connection. In addition, the operation isconsiderably facilitated by the common switching and closing elementassigned to both outlets of the shower arm.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the switching and/orclosing element is a hollow cylinder open at its inlet end, and thiscylinder is rotatably mounted in the shower arm and provided, in therange of the shower head outlet and in the range of the hose showeroutlet, on its circumference, with gaskets and angularly staggered oroffsetwall openings. The hollow cylinder has an operating handle or thelike at the outer end of the shower arm. With this embodiment of theinvention, there is obtained a simple, easy to handle and reliabledouble valve which permits not only switching from one outlet to theother but which also offers the possibility of closing both outletssimultaneously and of varying the rate of flow of the two outletsinfinitely and separately to the desired value.

In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, a switching and/orclosing element is a valve plunger axially reciprocable in a blind boreof the shower arm and having at least one sealing flange. The watersupply inlet opens radially into the blind bore between the shower headconnection and the hose shower connection. Insteadof rotary movement ofthe switching and/or closing element, as in the first mentionedembodiment, an axial displacement of the valve plunger is provided,which also insures a simple and easy operation. Due to the axialdisplacement of the valve plunger in one or the other direction, it ispossible to switch from one outlet to the other.

In a further development of this embodiment, the distance between twosealing flanges thereon is less than the distance between the showerhead outlet and the hose shower outlet. This offers the possibility ofclosing both outlets by bringing the valve plunger into a centerposition in which one sealing flange is between the inlet and the showerhead outlet and the other sealing flange is between the inlet and thehose shower outlet. The valve plunger preferably is provided with anoperating handle at the free front end of the shower arm.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the shower arm has apreferably downwardly pointing guide socket provided with a cylindricalbore, the axis of the bore intersecting the axis of the bore of theshower arm. A hollow cylindrical closing and/or switching element,formed at its upper end with a radial bore, is mounted in this guidesocket for rotation and/or axial displacement. This closing and/orswitching element is provided, at its lower end, with a thread forsecuring thereto a flexible hose of a hand shower, and is also providedat its lower end with an operating handle.

This embodiment has the advantage that the closing and/or switchingelement is more easily accessible in its operation. While it can only beoperated by a handle, in the first described embodiments, which isarranged above the shower head and requires the user to reach around theshower head to operate the closing and/or switching element, in theembodiment just described the handle is arranged below the connectingsocket for the hand shower hose and is therefore more easily accessible.In an advantageous manner, it is provided that the hollow cylindricalclosing and/or switching element has, on its outer surface, a radialslot-shaped or semicircular groove to which there protrudes a stopsecured in the wall of the guide socket, and which limits the axialand/or rotary movement of the closing and/or switching element.

This provides the possibility of displacing the control elementselectively in its own axial direction between two end positions, or torotate it about its own axis about and thus to block water supply bothto the shower head and to the hand shower hose. The control elementconsists of a simple and inexpensive turned part, is easy to mount, andis also easy to turn or to move away from any given position into anyother operating position. When the control element is displaceddownwardly, the water is supplied to the shower head while, when thecontrol element is moved upward in an axial direction, the water issupplied into the hand shower.

In a variation of this embodiment, the head shower is equipped with ashower head whose water outlet orifices can be closed by means of aclosing element, and the shower arm is provided with a preferablydownwardly opening connecting socket with a central bore whose axisintersects the axis of the bore of the shower arm. A pre-formed elasticself-closing element, or a closing element held in closing position by aspring force directed opposite to the water outflow direction, and whichis less than the maximum water pressure, is arranged in the bore of theconnecting socket. In this variation it is possible, by closing thewater outlet orifices of the shower head, to deflect the entering waterautomatically to the hand shower. The closing element in the connectingsocket of the hand shower hose, which is arranged on the underside ofthe shower arm, is so designed that it closes or opens in dependence onthe respective water pressure in the bore of the shower arm. I

If there is used, for example, a shower head such as described in U. S.Pat. No.. 2,285,831, the water supply can be directed into the handshower simply be closing the shower head while, with the shower headopen, the incoming water issues only through the shower head and doesnot flow into the hand shower because the water pressure in the bore ofthe shower arm is too low to open the closing element and the connectingsocket of the hand shower water hose. However, as soon as the showerhead is closed, the water pressure rises in the bore of the shower arm,so that the closing element in the connecting socket of the hand showerhose is opened and allows waterto flow to the hand shower.

The closing element can be a rubber disk which has a central openingand, around this opening, a closing lip projecting axially upwardly andwhich bears tightly on a conical finger projecting into the opening ofthe closing element, at low water pressure in the bore of the showerarm.

As another possibility, the closing element can be made as a conicaldisk which is pressed against the conical seat of the bore of theconnecting socket, at low water pressure in the bore of the shower arm,by a com-. pression spring, to block water supply to the hand shower. g

In both embodiments of this closing element, the method of operation isthe same. With the shower head open, the water flows through the showerhead and, with the shower head closed, the closing element in theconnecting socket is opened by the higher water pressure in the bore ofthe shower arm and the water is thus conducted to the hand shower.

An object ofthe invention is to provide an improved combination of ahead shower and a hose shower.

Another object of the invention is to provude such a combinationincluding a valve operatively associated with a shower arm andcontrolling flow through an outlet connection to a shower head and anoutlet connection to a hose shower.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a combination inwhich a single externally accessible manually operable member cooperateswith the valve to provide for flow of water through only a selected oneof the two outlet connections of the shower arm.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference ismade to the following description of typical embodiments thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the Drawings: I

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic vertical sectional view of an installedhead shower combined with a hose shower;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment of the showerarm;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through a second embodiment ofthe shower arm;

FIG. 4 is a part side elevation view and part longitudinal sectionalview through a third embodiment .of a shower arm in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line V V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5a is also a sectional view taken on the line V V of FIG. 4, butshowing another embodiment of the closing and/or switching element;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line VI VI of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a partial view of FIG. 4 showing the closing and/or switchingelement turned, in its upper position, through substantially FIG. 8 is aview similar to FIG. 7 showing the closing and/or switching element inanother position;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a combination headshower and hose shower installed on the wall of a shower enclosure;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of a headshower, with a closeable shower head, used in the embodiment shown inFIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a partial view corresponding to FIG. 10 but illustrating theself-closing element in an open position; and

FIG. 12 is a view of a portion of FIG. 10 but illustrating a differentembodiment of a self-closing element.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to thepreferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a showerarm 4 is connected, by a threaded joint 5, to a horizontal portion of anelbow 1 threaded onto a water supply pipe 3 laid in a wall 2, forexample, of a shower enclosure or stall, the horizontal leg of elbow 1being above head level. Shower arm 4 is a tubular horizontally extendingbody with a continuous cylindrical central bore 6. On the underside ofshower arm 4 there is arranged, on the one hand, an inclined shower headoutlet connection 7 and, on the other hand, an additional outletconnection for a hose shower. Both connections 7 and 11 have respectivecentral bores 8 and 1 2, and are formed with respective male threads 9and 14. A shower head 10 is secured to connection 7 by threading ontomale thread 9, and a cap nut 13 is threaded onto male thread 14 ofoutlet connection 11. Cap nut 13 retains a hose 15 connected to outletconnection 11. As can be seen from FIG. 1, hose 15 has a hand shower 16at its free end, and hand shower 16, when it is not in use, hangs in aholder 17 secured on wall 2.

In the central bore 6 of shower arm 4 there is arranged a hollowcylinder or tubular member 18 which is open at its inlet end 19 andwhich is provided at its opposite or outer and with a handle 20. A screw21 connects handle 20 non-rotatably with cylinder or tube 18 and serves,at the same time and in cooperation with a flange 22 arranged at theopposite end 19 of member 18, to secure cylinder or tubular member 18against axial displacement in control bore 6. In the range of bores 8and 12 of connections 7 and 11, respectively, tubular member 18 isprovided with respective gaskets 23 and 24, as well as with wallopenings 25 and 26 which are not covered by the respective gaskets 23and 24 but serve as a connection between the bores 8 and 12 and thecavity or interior 27 of tubular member 18. Openings 25 and 26 havesubstantially the same diameter as the respective bores 8 and 12, andare so staggered angularly that only one opening can be made to coincidewith a bore 8 or 12. Also, both bores 8 and 12 are closed in a certainangular position of handle 20, or of tubular member 18, by therespective gaskets 23 and 24.

By corresponding rotation of handle 20 and of tubular member 18, it ispossible to supply water, entering shower arm 4 from water supply pipe3, either to hose 15 and hand shower 16 or to shower head 10, oralternatively to close both outlets 8 and 12. It is also possible tomake the openings 23 and 24 coincide only partly with the respectivebores 8 and 12, and thus to regulate the amount of water to the desiredextent.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the shower arm and of theswitching or closing element. In this embodiment, shower arm 4' againhas a downwardly inclined shower head outlet connection 7' onto which isthreaded a shower head 10. The outlet connection for shower hose 15, inthis embodiment, has a female thread 28. In a central bore 29 of showerhead 4', which bore is closed at the free end of shower arm 4' by a bush30 threaded thereinto, and which terminates at the opposite end in ablind bore, there is arranged, for axial displacement, a valve plunger32 which has a diameter which is substantially smaller than that ofcentral bore 29. Valve plunger 32 is provided with two pairs of sealingflanges 33 and 34, and the axial spacing of the two pairs of flangesfrom each other is less than the distance between the radial bores 35and 36 of connections 7 and 28, respectively. Bores 35 and 36 terminate,like the bores 8 and 12 of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.2, radially in control bore As a connection between the female threadedinlet end of shower arm 4', by means of which it can be threaded ontothe elbow 1 of the water supply pipe, and the central bore 29, there areprovided one or several eccentric channels 38 which terminate radiallysubstantially in the middle between bores 35 and 36 through the mediumof branch radial channels 39 in central bore 29. By means of a shaft 40,which is guided axially through bush 30, and at the end of which issecured a handle 41, valve plunger 32 can be displaced axially with itstwo pairs of sealing flanges 33, 34, between an extreme left position Iand an extreme right position II. A center position 0 is providedbetween these two extreme positions. When plunger 32 is in position I,the water supply from central bore 29 to hand shower hose 15 is blocked,but the supply to shower head 10 is open. In this position, the twopairs of sealing flanges 33 and 34 are to the left of the adjacentconnecting bores 35 and 36, respectively. Supply of water to shower head10 is blocked in position II of valve plunger 32, and water can then besupplied to hand shower hose 15.

In position 0, the two pairs of sealing flanges 33 and 34 are betweenthe outlet connection bores 35 and 36,

so that neither shower head 10 nor hand shower hose 15 can receivewatervln order to obtain a good seal between the sealing flanges 33 and34 and the wall of central bore 29, the pairs of sealing flanges areprovided with respective circumferential gaskets 42 and 43.

By the provision of an additional pair of sealing flanges 44, arrangedat a certain spacing from the pair of sealing flanges 33 toward theouter end of the valve plunger 32, water is prevented from flowing intothe cavity or interior of central bore 29 outwardly of sealing flanges44 or through the bore in bush 30 to the exterior, which could be thecase if sealing flanges 33 were above outlet bore 35. This additionalpair of sealing flanges 44 also could be replaced, however, by anadditional seal in bush 30. Another possibility would be to providemerely a single sealing flange on valve plunger 32 and to arrange thesame so that it seals radial branch lines 39 tightly in position 0. Thiscan be achieved by two sealing rings arranged at a small spac ing fromeach other, or by a gasket. In such an embodiment, the water supplywould then be delivered to shower head 10 in position I and to hose 15in position ll, while any water flow would be blocked in position Inboth the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and in that shown in FIG. 3, it isreadily possible to effect regulation of the amount of outflowing waterby correspondingly selected displacement paths of valve member orplunger 32.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 through 8, there aretwo possible variants, as will be described more fully hereinafter. Inthis embodiment of the invention, shower arm 50 is designed as acylindrical hollow body or tubular member which has an axial bore 51 andwhich is secured, by means of a thread 52, to the horizontal leg ofelbow 1 connected to the water supply pipe 3. Pipe 3 is laid in wall 2,in the same manner as shown in FIG. 1. At the free end 53 of shower arm50 there is secureda shower head 54 directed obliquely downwardly, andwhich will be described more fully below with respect to FIG. 10. Showerhead 54 can be closed.

Between wall 2 and shower head 54, shower arm 50 is provided with acylindrical downwardly directed nipple 55 with a central bore 56 whoseaxis 57 is perpendicular to the axis 58 of bore 51 of shower arm 50, andlies in the same plane therewith so that it intersects axis 58. Bore 56communicates with the bore 51 of shower arm 50 and terminates in acylindrical recess 59 above bore 51 of shower arm 50. In bore 56 ofguide socket 55 there is arranged a hollow cylindrical or tubular body60 which has a bore 61 concentric with bore 56. Body 60 is closed at itsupper end by an end wall 62, and bore 61 can communicate, through aradial aperture or bore at the upper end of body 60, with bore 51 ofshower arm 50, when tubular body 60 occupies the position shown in FIG.4. The outer peripheral surface of body 64 is formed with alongitudinally extending groove 64 into which there extends thecylindrical lug 65 of a headless screw 66 threaded through the wall ofnipple 55.

The length of groove 64 is so selected that body 60 can be adjustedaxially, or longitudinally of groove 64 between the upper position shownin FIG. 4 and the lower position shown in FIG. 8.

That part of body 60 projecting, in'the upper position of FIG. 4, fromnipple 55, is provided with a handle 67 and, beneath handle 67, body 60is formed with a male thread 68 threadedly receiving a cap nut 70securing a hand shower hose 69 to body 60. Instead of longitudinalgroove 64, body 60 also can be provided with a semi-circular groove 64',as shown in FIG. 5, and into which there extends the cylindrical lug 65of screw 66 so that body 60 can then move not only axially, in thedirection of the double arrow 71, between the positions indicated inFIGS. 4 and 8, but can also be turned through substantially 180 aboutits longitudinal axis 57.

While cylindrical tubular body 60 need not be rotatable, with the use ofa closeable shower head 54, and an axial groove 64 is sufficient tolimit the axial mobility of body 60, shower arm 50 also can be equippedwith a shower head such as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 instead of acloseable shower head 54, in the case of a semi-circular groove 64'which has, in the axial direction, the same length as axial groove 64.This will be explained hereinafter.

Body 60 serves as a closing or switching element, or for both closingand switching. In the upper position shown in FIG. 4, water entering inthe direction of the arrow 72 from water supply line 3 is conductedthrough radial bore or aperture 63 and axial bore 61 into hose 69 andthrough the latter into hand shower 16. In this position, showerhead 54receives no water. If body 60 is pulled down to the lower position shownin FIG. 8, water flows through bore 51 of shower arm 50 into shower head54 and, if the-latter is opened, in jets into the open air. End wall 62with body 60 closes bore 56 of nipple 55 and, through the wall of 66,also the radial aperture or bore 63 of body 60, so that no water canflow into hose 69 and into hand shower 16. To improve the sealing, acircumferential gasket 73 is provided at the upper end of bore 56 ofnipple 55. If the issuance of water from closeable shower head 54 alsois to be prevented, the shower head can be closed by a correspondingadjustment of the closing element, in the manner described more fullybelow, so that the entire head shower, including the hand shower,receives no water. As soon as body 60 is raised again into the positionof FIG. 4, hand shower 16 again receives water through hose 19.

If the non-closeable shower head 10 is used, as in the embodiment shownin FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, switching of the water supply from hand shower 16to shower head 10, and vice versa, can be effected in the mannerdescribed above. In order to shut off the water supply completely forthe shower head 10 and to the hand shower 16, it then is necessaryonlyto turn body 60, in its upper position about its axis 57, through aboutl80 so that it assumes the position shown in FIG. 7 in which aperture 63communicates with bore 51 of shower 50 on the outlet side rather than onthe inlet side. This also insures that neither hand shower 16 nor showerhead 10 is supplied with water. Inthis case, the semi-circular groove 64on the circumference of body 60 is used.

Naturally, it is also possible, and by no means disadvantageous, if acloseable shower head 54 is used, to provide body 60 with asemi-circular groove 64' which permits not only an axial displacementbut also a rotation through substantially l80.-

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 9 through 12, showerarm 74 is again threaded by means of a male thread 75, into thehorizontal arm of the elbow 1 connected to the water pipe 3 laid in thewall 2. The axial bore 76 of shower arm 74 opens into shower head 54,which, by means of a member 78, is threaded onto the inclined end 79 ofshower arm 74. Shower head 54 includes a housing 77 in which there issecured a threaded bush 80. A threaded pin 81 is threaded into bush 80,and is secured to a shower bottom 82. Pin 81 has an axial bore 86therein which is open at the top and, in the proximity of shower headbottom 82, pin 81 is formed with radial openings 87 communicating withbore 86.

Shower bottom 82 has a cylindrical periphery on which there arearranged, at equal intervals, a number of inclined water outlet orificeswhich terminate at a predetermined distance inwardly of the lower edge88 of shower bottom 82. Bottom 82 is mounted for axial displacement in acylindrical opening 83 of housing 77, and can be adjusted axially byrotation in opposite directions. As illustrated in the left half of FIG.10, shower bottom 82 is shown threaded completely into the front opening83 of housing 77, so that issuance of water through orifices 85 isprevented by the circumferential gasket 84. In the right half of FIG.10, shower bottom 82 is illustrated at an axial position in which itprojects from-the end face 89 of housing 77, and orifices 85 on itscircumference permit issuance of water.

For the purpose of connecting hose 89 of the hand shower to shower arm74, arm 74 is provided or formed with a threaded nipple 90 extendingradially downwardly, and nipple 90 communicates with bore 76 of arm 74through a radial port 91 in arm 74. A reducing nipple 92 is threadedonto nipple 90 and is formed, between its female thread 93 and an axialbore 94, with an annular shoulder 95. The lower end of reducing nipple92 has a male thread 96 onto which is threaded cap nut 70 securing handshower hose 69.

A relief pressure valve 97 is arranged in nipple 90, and comprises arubber disk 98 which has a central opening 99 and an annular closing lip100, around opening 99, and which bears tightly on a conical finger 101protruding into opening 99. Finger 101 is formed on a pressure sleeve102 which presses rubber disk 98 against an annular shoulder 103, at thelower end of the bore 91 in nipple 90. Sleeve 102 and finger 101 areconnected with a perforated disk 104 which has several ports orapertures l05'for the passage of water. Perforated disk 104 is pressedagainst the annular end face 106 of nipple 90 by an annular shoulder ofreducing nipple 92.

When water flows from supply pipe 3 into bore 76 of shower arm 74, withshower head 54 open, the annular closing lip of rubber disk 98 bearstightly on finger 101 so that no water can flow to hand shower hose 69.However, if shower head 54'is closed by screwing in shower bottom 82thereof, as shown at the left half of FIG. 10, the form-elastic closinglip 100 is pushed away from the periphery of finger 101, due to thehigher water pressure in bore 76 of shower arm 74, so that water nowflows from shower arm 74 between the periphery of the now larger opening99 and closing lip 100 into hand shower 16. The widened opening 99 isrepresented in FIG. 11. As seen as shower head 54 is opened again byturning out shower bottom 82, closing lip 100 of rubber disk 98 againbears on FIG. 101 and thus blocks water supply to hand shower 16.

In the variant of FIG. 10 illustrated in FIG. 12, pressure relief valve97, housed in threaded nipple 90, comprises a conical valve disk 107which is biased by compression spring 108 to engage a conical valve seat109, when shower head 54 is open. Spring 108 bears on a perforated disk113 which, like perforated disk 104, has a number of openings or ports110. The method of operation of the pressure relief valve shown in FIG.12 is substantially the same as that of the pressure relief valve 97shown in FIG. 10. As soon as shower head 54 is closed, the waterpressure in bore 76 of shower arm 74 overcomes the closing force ofspring 108, so that valve disk 107 moves away from seat 109 and waterflows through port 91, holes Ililand bore 94 into hand shower hose 89and, thus, into the hand shower 16.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, it isnecessary to provide the water supply pipe 3, shown in FIG. 9, with ashut-off valve 111 which can be actuated by means of a handle 112projecting from wall 2 in order to shut off, completely, the watersupply to shower head 54 and to hand shower 16.

FIG. 9 corresponds essentially to FIG. 1, with the difference that ashower arm 74 with a shower head 54 is connected to water supply pipe 3.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the principles ofthe invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. In a head shower of the type including a shower arm designed forconnection of an inlet end thereof to a water supply pipe laid in thewall of a shower enclosure, to extend above head level, and having ashower head outlet connection, and a shower head secured to the outletconnection, the improvement comprising, in combination, said shower armbeing a pipe section with an elongated rectilinear bore extending fromits inlet end, and said shower head outlet connection being a firstnipple communicating with said bore adjacent an outer end thereof andextending downwardly from said pipe section; an additional outletconnection in the form of a second nipple communicating with saidrectilinear bore and arranged to have a hose shower connected thereto;said second nipple extending downwardly from said pipe section and saidfirst and second nipples having their axes lying in a common axial planeincluding the axis of said pipe section; valve means operativelyassociated with said shower arm and controlling flow through said outletconnections; and a single externally accessible manually operable membercooperable with said valve means to provide for flow of water throughonly a selected one of said outlet connections.

2. In a shower head, the improvement claimed in claim 1, in which saidvalve means comprises a rectilinear element rotatably mounted in saidrectilinear bore and controlling flow through said outlet connectionsresponsive to rotation thereof to predetermined angular positions; saidmanually operable member comprising a handle secured to the outer end ofsaid rotatable member.

3. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 1, in which saidvalve means comprises a rectilinear member mounted in said shower armfor axial displacement relative thereto and controlling flow throughsaid outlet connection responsive to movement to preselected axialpositions; said manually operable member comprising a handle secured tothe outer end of said axially displaceable member.

4. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 2, in which saidrotatable member is a tubular cylinder open at the inlet end of saidpipe section; said tubular cylinder being formed with angularly spacedports each alignable with a respective outlet connection by rotation ofsaid tubular cylinder; respective gaskets interposed betweensaid-tubular cylinder and the inner surface of said rectilinear boreadjacent each of said outlet connections, said gaskets circumferentiallyembracing said tubular cylinder and being formed with ports aligned withthe ports in said tubular cylinder; said externally accessible manuallyoperable member comprising a handle secured to the closed outer end ofsaid tubular cylinder.

5. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 3, in which saidaxially displaceable member comprises a valve plunger axiallydisplaceable in a blind bore of said shower arm; said valve plungerhaving at least one sealing flange engaging the inner periphery of saidblind bore; the inlet end of said shower arm being formed with passagemeans communicating with the water supply pipe and opening radially intosaid blind bore between said outlet connections.

6. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 5, in which saidvalve plunger is provided with two sealing flanges axially spaced fromeach other a distance less than the axial distance between said showerhead outlet connection and said additional outlet connection.

7. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 6, in which saidsingle externally accessible manually operable member comprises a handlesecured to the free outer end of said valve plunger.

8. In a shower head, the improvement claimed in claim 5, in which eachof said axially spaced sealing flanges is designed as a pair of closelyaxially spaced flanges; the flanges of each pair of closely axiallyspaced flanges having respective sealing gaskets interposedtherebetween.

9. In a shower head, the improvement claimed in claim 1, said valvemeans comprising a tubular cylindrical member displaceably mounted inthe cylindrical bore of said second nipple and formed with a radiallyopening port communicable with said rectilinear bore; said tubularcylindrical element having a male thread on its outer end for securementthereto of a flexible hose of a hand shower; said single externallyaccessible manually operable member comprising a handle formed on saidcylindrical tubular element outwardly of a lower end of said secondnipple.

10. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 59, in whichsaid'tubular cylindrical element is rotatable in said second nipple tocontrol flow through said additional outlet connection.

11. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 9, in which saidtubular cylindrical member is axially displaceable in said second nippleto control flow through said additional outlet connection.

12. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 9, in which saidtubular cylindrical member is angularly and axially displaceable in saidsecond nipple to control flow through said additional outlet connection.

13. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 12, in which saidtubular cylindrical element has a radially outwardly opening groove inits exterior periphery extending throughout one half of itscircumference; and a stop secured in the wall of said second nipple andengageable in said radial groove to limit axial and rotary movement ofsaid tubular cylindrical element.

14. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim I, said secondnipple having a control bore whose axis intersects the axis of said pipesection and communicating with said rectilinear bore; said valve meanscomprising a pressure-responsive valve element in said control bore andbiased in a control bore closing direction against the direction of flowof water, the biasing force being less than the maximum water pressureeffective on said valve element; said shower headbeing a closeableshower head and said single externally accessible manually operablemember being constituted by the closing element of said closeable showerhead; whereby, when said shower head is opened, said valve elementprevents flow of water through said additional outlet connection and,when said shower head is closed, the resulting increase in waterpressure in said pipe section opens said valve element for flow of waterthrough said additional outlet connection.

15. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in connection.

16. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 14, in which saidvalve element comprises a conical valve disk pressed, at low waterpressure in said pipe section, against a conical valve seat of saidcontrol bore by a compression spring.

17. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 11, in which saidshower head is a closeable shower head; said tubular cylindrical elementhaving an axially extending groove formed in its outer peripheralsurface to extend parallel to its axis; and a stop mounted in the wallof said nipple and engaged in said axially extending groove to limitaxial displacement of said tubular cylindrical element.

1. In a head shower of the type including a shower arm designed forconnection of an inlet end thereof to a water supply pipe laid in thewall of a shower enclosure, to extend above head level, and having ashower head outlet connection, and a shower head secured to the outletconnection, the improvement comprising, in combination, said shower armbeing a pipe section with an elongated rectilinear bore extending fromits inlet end, and said shower head outlet connection being a firstnipple communicating with said bore adjacent an outer end thereof andextending downwardly from said pipe section; an additional outletconnection in the form of a second nipple communicating with saidrectilinear bore and arranged to have a hose shower connected thereto;said second nipple extending downwardly from said pipe section and saidfirst and second nipples having their axes lying in a common axial planeincluding the axis of said pipe section; valve means operativelyassociated with said shower arm and controlling flow through said outletconnections; and a single externally accessible manually operable membercooperable with said valve means to provide for flow of water throughonly a selected one of said outlet connections.
 2. In a shower head, theimprovement claimed in claim 1, in which said valve means comprises arectilinear element rotatably mounted in said rectilinear bore andcontrolling flow through said outlet connections responsive to rotationthereof to predetermined angulAr positions; said manually operablemember comprising a handle secured to the outer end of said rotatablemember.
 3. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 1, inwhich said valve means comprises a rectilinear member mounted in saidshower arm for axial displacement relative thereto and controlling flowthrough said outlet connection responsive to movement to preselectedaxial positions; said manually operable member comprising a handlesecured to the outer end of said axially displaceable member.
 4. In ahead shower, the improvement claimed in claim 2, in which said rotatablemember is a tubular cylinder open at the inlet end of said pipe section;said tubular cylinder being formed with angularly spaced ports eachalignable with a respective outlet connection by rotation of saidtubular cylinder; respective gaskets interposed between said tubularcylinder and the inner surface of said rectilinear bore adjacent each ofsaid outlet connections, said gaskets circumferentially embracing saidtubular cylinder and being formed with ports aligned with the ports insaid tubular cylinder; said externally accessible manually operablemember comprising a handle secured to the closed outer end of saidtubular cylinder.
 5. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim3, in which said axially displaceable member comprises a valve plungeraxially displaceable in a blind bore of said shower arm; said valveplunger having at least one sealing flange engaging the inner peripheryof said blind bore; the inlet end of said shower arm being formed withpassage means communicating with the water supply pipe and openingradially into said blind bore between said outlet connections.
 6. In ahead shower, the improvement claimed in claim 5, in which said valveplunger is provided with two sealing flanges axially spaced from eachother a distance less than the axial distance between said shower headoutlet connection and said additional outlet connection.
 7. In a headshower, the improvement claimed in claim 6, in which said singleexternally accessible manually operable member comprises a handlesecured to the free outer end of said valve plunger.
 8. In a showerhead, the improvement claimed in claim 5, in which each of said axiallyspaced sealing flanges is designed as a pair of closely axially spacedflanges; the flanges of each pair of closely axially spaced flangeshaving respective sealing gaskets interposed therebetween.
 9. In ashower head, the improvement claimed in claim 1, said valve meanscomprising a tubular cylindrical member displaceably mounted in thecylindrical bore of said second nipple and formed with a radiallyopening port communicable with said rectilinear bore; said tubularcylindrical element having a male thread on its outer end for securementthereto of a flexible hose of a hand shower; said single externallyaccessible manually operable member comprising a handle formed on saidcylindrical tubular element outwardly of a lower end of said secondnipple.
 10. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 9, inwhich said tubular cylindrical element is rotatable in said secondnipple to control flow through said additional outlet connection.
 11. Ina head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 9, in which said tubularcylindrical member is axially displaceable in said second nipple tocontrol flow through said additional outlet connection.
 12. In a headshower, the improvement claimed in claim 9, in which said tubularcylindrical member is angularly and axially displaceable in said secondnipple to control flow through said additional outlet connection.
 13. Ina head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 12, in which saidtubular cylindrical element has a radially outwardly opening groove inits exterior periphery extending throughout one half of itscircumference; and a stop secured in the wall of said second nipple andengageable in said radial groove to limit axial and rotary movement ofsaid tubular cylindrIcal element.
 14. In a head shower, the improvementclaimed in claim 1, said second nipple having a control bore whose axisintersects the axis of said pipe section and communicating with saidrectilinear bore; said valve means comprising a pressure-responsivevalve element in said control bore and biased in a control bore closingdirection against the direction of flow of water, the biasing forcebeing less than the maximum water pressure effective on said valveelement; said shower head being a closeable shower head and said singleexternally accessible manually operable member being constituted by theclosing element of said closeable shower head; whereby, when said showerhead is opened, said valve element prevents flow of water through saidadditional outlet connection and, when said shower head is closed, theresulting increase in water pressure in said pipe section opens saidvalve element for flow of water through said additional outletconnection.
 15. In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 14,in which said valve element is a disk of form-elastic material having acentral aperture surrounded by an axially extending closing lip; meansproviding a conical figure projecting into the central aperture of saiddisk; said closing lip, under low water pressure in said pipe section,bearing against said conical figure to prevent water flowing throughsaid additional outlet connection.
 16. In a head shower, the improvementclaimed in claim 14, in which said valve element comprises a conicalvalve disk pressed, at low water pressure in said pipe section, againsta conical valve seat of said control bore by a compression spring. 17.In a head shower, the improvement claimed in claim 11, in which saidshower head is a closeable shower head; said tubular cylindrical elementhaving an axially extending groove formed in its outer peripheralsurface to extend parallel to its axis; and a stop mounted in the wallof said nipple and engaged in said axially extending groove to limitaxial displacement of said tubular cylindrical element.